The Actress in High Life eBook

“You have devised a happy union of intellectual
and sensual pleasure, well calculated to heighten
both.”

“Why were these good things given us,”
said the colonel, gracefully waving his hand over
the table, “but that we should ascertain their
uses, and apply them accordingly?”

“I begin to understand your philosophy, in letting
none of the good things of life run to waste, but
rather receiving them all in the spirit of thankfulness.”

“In those few words you express the essence
of my philosophy.”

“There may be,” continued Lady Mabel,
“as much piety, and certainly more wisdom, in
frankly enjoying the good things given us, than in
despising the world which God made, and rejecting the
blessings it teems with, like these self-tormenting
ascetics, the monks and friars around us.”

“Heaven help your simplicity, Lady Mabel!
They only pretend to do so, the hypocrites! Rest
assured, every one of these fellows is on the sly.”

“What! No exceptions? Is it true of
every one—­

‘His eyes are set on heaven, his
heart on earth?’”

“It fits them to a man!” said the colonel.
“Their vocation is securing to themselves the
god things of this world, by promising to others the
blessings of the next: and as for the friars,
true to their motto, Nihil habentes et omnia possidentes,
they profess to hold no special property, merely that
the whole country might be bound to maintain them.
They know the value of the good things of this life,
and how to enjoy them in a corner.”

“These odd-looking monks and friars attract
me much,” said Lady Mabel: “perhaps
they will not bear a close inspection; but, with all
my prejudice against them, I must own, that many seem
truly devout, and the friars, at least, very zealous
in their labors among the people.”

“Yet the people, except the women,” said
Bradshawe, “are losing faith in their greasy
reverences.”

“Women are everywhere more devout than men,”
she answered; “and I do indeed observe their
greasy reverences, as you call them, conversing oftener
with our sex than yours.”

“Observe more closely, Lady Mabel, and you will
see that they are most zealous for the conversion
of the young women, the tender lambs of the flock.
They care little for a tough, smoke-dried, old woman’s
soul.” This was said with a knowing, wink,
and caused some merriment among his juniors within
ear-shot.

A gradual but perceptible change was coming over the
colonel’s manner, which Lady Mabel did not like.
In fact, Lord Strathern had pushed the bottle briskly,
though sometimes slighting it himself, as did many
of his guests; but Bradshawe made it a point of conscience
to take toll every time it passed him. He had,
moreover, violated one of his own maxims, in talking
incessantly while imbibing his liquor; so she took
advantage of the next pause in his conversation to
leave the table.